Oh my sanity!!

[skatie]

Have already given my 7yo mindee a telling off for running off at school today (something I hate having to do) and have threatened her with holding onto the buggy if she doesn't listen. So we get home and put some banana bread in the oven and kids want to go on the trampoline. My 4.5 y old and the 7 year old mindee are on the trampoline and my 16 month old is in his cozy coupe. I literally pop inside to get my coat, put it on and get my LO a coat and come outside to find the two on the trampoline in peels of laughter with a rock bouncing between them on the trampoline. Omg! Not just a stone a rock! I newly had blooming heart failure! Well they got a telling off again and banned from the trampoline for the rest of the day for behaving so badly.

I don't really know how to deal with that... Should I risk assess? Am still in shock and they clearly had no idea of the danger. Does anyone have trampoline 'rules' than I can use.

[FussyElmo]

Well I got rid if mine last year but the main one was 1 Child on at a time.

No toys or objects on.

I ended up buying a timer so no arguments
No children underneath while bouncing

[skatie]

Thanks Fussy, I think I'll about a trial period on the trampoline and if it causes arguments or they continue to mis-use it then it will have to be sold. I'm going to have to read the manufacturers instructions as I'm sure you are right it should be one on at a time. Will print some rules out, laminate them and talk to all of them before its used again.

[clareelizabeth1]

Just so you know it does not matter how big a trampoline you buy they all state only one child at a time this is because the vibrations of each bouncer can send the lighter bouncer flying. I know this from personal experience having gone flying from a 16foot trampoline. Having a net does not help and sometimes makes it worse as if you hit it with enough force you will take the whole lot with you.

It always irritated me that they advertise them with lots of children playing on them gives the wrong impression

[skatie]

Just so you know it does not matter how big a trampoline you buy they all state only one child at a time this is because the vibrations of each bouncer can send the lighter bouncer flying. I know this from personal experience having gone flying from a 16foot trampoline. Having a net does not help and sometimes makes it worse as if you hit it with enough force you will take the whole lot with you.

It always irritated me that they advertise them with lots of children playing on them gives the wrong impression

Thanks for the advice, I will enforce that from now on.

[MessybutHappy]

A lot say you can't use them without a huge safety gap around them too, which we can't manage so we wouldn't be insured if a child had an accident on one....

[bindy]

I have one for the use of my own daughter only. She goes on it at weekends and once all kids have gone home. It sounds mean not to allow the children on but one child did hurt her arm , she was bouncing alone too, all the trouble not worth it! Parents did sign a policy to say their children were allowed to use it, that OK until their child gets hurt!

[LauraS]

My daughter knocked her two adult front teeth out on a trampoline (she put them through her older sisters knee :s). They weren't even bouncing, they were sitting, chatting, they both got up to get off and somehow she fell and landed badly and had to have them put back in as an emergency.

I think the insurance will only cover youif you follow instructions and those probably state constant supervision, one at a time and an age limit - ours is 6 up. So you are probably using it uninsured as it stands

We haven't put ours back up since 'toothgate' and have craftily built a deck in the garden which leaves a lawn which.is slightly too small to fit the trampoline in

[clareelizabeth1]

We haven't put ours back up since 'toothgate' and have craftily built a deck in the garden which leaves a lawn which.is slightly too small to fit the trampoline in

What a great idea. Have your daughters realised.

[LauraS]

Yes lol. It was a huge tragedy all round when we realised last summer that the trampoline would no longer fit. Very sad. Cough cough. Lol.

[Koala]

I would:

Keep the trampoline,
get rid of the kids and rockmind instead, I've heard the payment is solid and absolutely no bad behaviour, worry or hassle from parents.

What can you do? Trust a kid to find danger. Nevermind nobody was hurt, this time but trampolines scare me and I wouldn't have one.

[skatie]

I would:

Keep the trampoline,
get rid of the kids and rockmind instead, I've heard the payment is solid and absolutely no bad behaviour, worry or hassle from parents.

What can you do? Trust a kid to find danger. Nevermind nobody was hurt, this time but trampolines scare me and I wouldn't have one.

Lol! :-). That's brightened the situation. Having spoken to oh, we will only be using the trampoline for my sons personal use, today's entertainment was too much and I can't be responsible for a mindee injuring themselves.

[winstonian]

We have just got rid of our trampoline - the arguments, timers, foreign objects, 1 at a time all became too much. The net became ripped so I told DH to take the trampoline down, he couldn't be bothered so instead cut the bouncy part out. Although it was very mean I did have to smile when the kids all raced towards it arguing about who would be first to find the actual trampoline part was missing! He has now taken the whole thing down and we have so much space!

[jackie 7]

I have enough problems with 3 boys wanting the 2 little tykes cars. I am in a flat and they don't realise that if I removed the foot base they could drive them!! I couldn't copycat with a trampoline. So sad the garden became too small but I am sure you will enjoy the garden more!

[SammySplodger]

We have just got rid of our trampoline - the arguments, timers, foreign objects, 1 at a time all became too much. The net became ripped so I told DH to take the trampoline down, he couldn't be bothered so instead cut the bouncy part out. Although it was very mean I did have to smile when the kids all raced towards it arguing about who would be first to find the actual trampoline part was missing! He has now taken the whole thing down and we have so much space!

I'm a meanie and have always refused to buy one. Observed them being a pain in the a**e at other people's houses and resolved to never to go there. My kids (10 & 6) are no longer bothered / have given up asking. I have smallish garden with only hard surfaces, so would have been a nightmare.